Sausage-stuffing machine.



Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

in: ill! Zhvenzor NORRIS PETERS CO. PHOTC-LITHO.. WASHINGTON, D. C.

1N1 o s aa s an,

J a S r WILLIAM H. BAZL-EY, or, EVERETT, MASSACHUSETTS.

, SAUSAGE-STUFFING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar. 2, 1915. i

' Application filed May 12, 1911. Serial No. 626,716.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, VVILLIAM H. BAzLnY,

la citizen of the United States, residing at Everett, in the county of Middlesex, State 5 of Massachusetts, have invented a certain,

working within a cylinder, the latter-having at its closed end one or more nozzles ;upon which casings or skins are placed, and through which theffilling material is forced into the saidcasings or skins by the movement of the piston toward the saidvclosed end. The action of a machine of this type is interrupted from time to time by the necessity for refilling the cylinder. For the latter purpose the piston has to be, withdrawn from the cylinderto permit a fresh supply of filling material to be placed within the cylinder, after which the piston is caused to reenter the cylinder. The refilling I operations occupy some considerable time. Hence the working capacity of the machine is materially reduced.

The invention is combined with a powerdriven sausage-stuffing machine employing a'feed-screw or worm workingwithina cylfinder, having a hopper orinlet in connection with the said cylinder through which a continuous supply ofv the filling material passes to the feed-screw or worm- The em-' ployment of a rotating feed-screw or. worm,

and a hopper delivering thereto, provides.

for continuous supply and feed of the material, and obviates all necessity for suspen- 40 sion of the working of the machine and the 7 performance of refilling, operations onthe order of those above set forth. x

The invention provides for automatic cone trol of the driving of the feed-screw or worm, whereby thelatter is rotated until I the pressure within thecylinder reaches a predetermined amount,and then the speed of rotation of the feedscrew or worm is diminished, or the driving of the said screw or worm is suspended, or the speed first is diminished and then on continued increase of internal pressure the driving of the feedscrew or. worm is suspended. Onthe pressure being-relieved the feed-screw or worm is again caused to rotate, or is rotatedat in- OIGZLSGCl'SPBBdyELIIdySO 011." Thereby. a substantially uniform predetermined pressure is maintained within the cylinder. This enrare.

ables filling operations to be carried on uninterruptedly, the feed-screw or worm and its automatically-controlled driving mechanism acting to keep up such pressure, and in the event of the latter reaching the prede-- termined degree or degrees during the time that the filling nozzles are closed and fresh casings or skins are being applied thereto the automatic control either suspends the.

drivingof the feed-screw or worm, or first,

diminishes the speed of the latter and then on further increase suspends the driving. Thus the actionof the feed-screw or worm is automatically taken care of, and all that is required on the part of the attendants upon the machine is to keep the hopper properly filled, and to apply casings or skins to the filling nozzles from time to time.

The invention may be variously embodied. d An embodiment of the same in the best form I tion, partly in side elevation, and with a,

portion of the motor broken away. Fig. 2 shows the machine in plan, certain small portions being brokenaway. Fig. 3 is a sectional view in'the plane of the lines 3, 3,"

Figs. 1 and 2, showing thedetailsof the thrust-bearing.

Having reference tothe drawings, the machine is shown mounted upon a baseplate 1, which in practice may be of any suitable form and character. At 2 is thecylinder, it being fixed upon the said base-plate and provided with a funnel or hopper 8, the opening of which communicates with the interior space of the cylinder. The said interior space is cylindrical and extends from one end to the other of the cylinder, thelatterhaving openings at both ends.

At 4 is an end-cap which is secured to the cylinder at the delivery end of the latter, closing theopening of the cylinder at such end. The said end-cap is furnished with a nozzle-piece; 5 with which are combined a pair of nozzles 6, 6, each having a straightway cock or valve 7 in connection therewith. The feed-screw or worm within the cylinder The end-cap 4: is provided with convenient position at the delivery end of the cylinder,

I such means being of a character to enable the said end-cap to be quickly and conveniently unfastened and removed, or restored toplace and again made fast. In the present instance the securing means comprises swinging bolts 11,-11, each of. which is mounted upon a pivot 12 between a pair of lugs13, 13, upon the exterior of the cylinder at the delivery end of thelatter,the end-cap 4 having open peripheral notches 14c, 14,-to'

. receive the stems of the said swinging bolts and the threadedstems of thelatter having nuts 15, 15, applied to the same. 7

Figs. land 2 show the bolts 11, 11, in their normal positions with their stems occupying the notches 14, 14, in the edge of the endcap {1, and the nuts 15, 15, tightened up against the outer surface of the flange of the said end-cap, so that thereby the end"- cap is locked and clamped securely inplace. It will be observedthat the illustrated form of securing means is especially contrived to Y withstand the internal pressure acting lengthwise of the cylinder, and transmitted from the vane of'the feed-screw or worm, through the material which is advanced by the rotation of the said feed-screw or worm, toward 2 and against the'said end-cap. At the same time, all that is necessary to be done in order to permit the end-cap to be removed is to slacken up the nuts 15, 15, and swing the bolts 11, 1'1,:outward, which will unfast'en the end-cap and permit it to be taken away. 1 provide upon thefeed-screw or worm,.at the head-end of the latter, and beyond the passageway or "opening which leads from the funnel or hopper into the interior space of the cylinder, a disk or head 16 forming a part of or fixed upon the shaft 90f the feed screw or worm, so that it rotates with the V feed-screw orworm. This revolving disk or head is of a diameter to fit and snugly fill the "interior space of the cylinder;'it takes the place of a'fixed end or head for the cylinder. Except forthe said revolving disk, or head 16 the cylinder is entirely open at its head-end. The revolving disk or head closes the head-end of the cylinder, but in case any material should work past the edge of the said disk or head such material will f tionsftherefor as presently will be explained.

Y The feedscrew or worm is detachably connectedi by a coupling of convenient form and construction with the drive-shaft. In

the drawings, the shaft 9is turned down beyond the disk or head 16 so as to form an annular shoulder 20 and an extension 21 of reduced diameter, this extension having a transverse slot 22 made therethrough, and the drive-shaft 17 is furnished with an axial socket 23 to receive the said reduced extension. Diametrically-opposite holes in the shell of the said socket receive a transversely-disposed wedge or' tapering key 24,

which also-passes. through the slot'22 and bears by one edge against the outer end-wall of such slot. This wedge or key, through bemg driven tightly into place, acts to hold i of the shaft 9v of the feed-screw or worm in the end of the socket and the shoulder 20 close contact, and locks the feed-screw or worm to the drive-shaft.

It will be observed thatthe central passage of the cylinder extends from end to end of the cylinder and is of uniform diameter from end to end. Alsothat the unlocking.

and removal of the 'end c'ap' 4 gives access to the interior of the cylinder at the delivery end of the latter. It is, further'to be observedthat upon driving out the wedge or key 2 1 the feed-screw or worm will be un-i coupled from the drive-shaft 17, and may then be removed at the delivery-end of the cylinder by endwise movement through the cylinder. Also, that when the feed-screw or Worm has been thus removed the cylinder willbe unobstructedly open from end to end 7 of the same.

The described construction provides forconvenient and ready disassembling of the 1 parts and for the cleaning thereof, as well as for the subsequent re-assembling and reconnecting of the parts in working relations and conclitions again.'- The peripheral edge of the, disk or head 16 and the edge of the:

vane 10 of'the feed-screw 'or worm are in bearing contactwiththe interior surfaceof the cylinder, and therebythe support ofthe feed-screw or worm within the cylinder, in

proper concentricity with the said interior surface, is provided for. The driving connections of the drive-shaft 17 comprise in the present-instance a spurgear wheel 25 which is fixed thereon, intermediate gearing 26 and 27, and adriving pinion28 in con nection with the shaftof an electric motor 29.

To permit the feed-screw or worm to yield 'by movement in the direction of its length in consequenceof the'reaction ofthematerial compressed toward and against the end 4: at the delivery end of the cylinder, in case the pressure within the cylinder should exceed the predetermined amount, I employ a yielding thrust-bearing in connection with the drive-shaft 17 and so combine the said drive-shaft withits bearings as to be capable ofalimited amount of'endwise movementwithin suchjbearings, and

also so mount the feed-screw or worm-with in the cylinder as to'be capable of endwise movement inside the. cylinder. The thrustwhich and the adjacent end of the driveshaft a series of anti-friction balls31, isin terposed. The block 30 is mounted to slideupon ag'uideway on a fixed stand or shelf 32 and is backed up by expanding spiral springs 33, 33, which are confined between the said block 30 and a second block 34 also mounted on the said stand or shelf 32 with capacity to move thereon. Block 3a is engaged by an adjusting screw 35 by means of which the tension of the springs 33, 33,

drive-shaft 17 and engaged by a fork upon.

one end of a lever 37 which is pivoted at 38, the said lever being connected by a link 39 with a switch-arm 4:0. The said switcharm 40 is arranged to coact with contacts at 41, 41, in connection with an electric circuit. In the position of the parts and switch-arm shown in Fig. 2 the feed-screw is being driven at the intended rate of speed, the circuit being closed and the motor in full operation. Endwise movement of the feed-screw and drive-shaft 17 toward the right will shift the switch-arm 40 to the adjacent contact 41 and thereby either open the circuit and discontinue the action of the electric motor, or change the connection so as to cause the said motor to transmit rotary motion at a reduced rate of speed to:

the drive-shaft and feed-screw -or worm. In case the movement referred to of. the switch-arm acts to reduce the speed of the drive-shaft and feed-screw or 'worm and it occurs that the pressure within the machine continues to increase and still exceeds the predetermined limit, the further movement of the switch-arm to the remaining contact 41 will open the circuit and cause the driving of the feed-screw or worm to cease. I contemplate in the use of the machine keeping the cylinder fully charged with material so that there shall be a constant internal pressure maintained, which will involve the automatic reduction or suspension of the driving of the feed-screw or worm, and so that when this pressure has been relieved by the filling of casings applied to nozzles 6, 6, the feed-screw or worm will be automatically speeded up or restarted and will be rotated until the desired degree of compression shall again have been attained, and then allowed to decrease its speed or stand at rest.

The invention is not in all cases limited to the employment of the precise driving arrangements: herein shown and described; nor is the employment of purely mechanical driving mechanism, mechanically controlled, precluded.

I claim as my invention 1. In combination, a cylinder having an outlet through which material contained within the cylinder is expressed, an express ing screw or worm within the cylinder acting by its spiral vane upon the said material, power means for rotating the said screw or worm, and means for throwing the drivingpower on and'oif controlled by the pressure within the cylinder and operating to maintain substantial uniformity of pressure within the cylinder.

2. In combination, a cylinder having an outlet through which material contained within the cylinder is expressed, an expressing screw or worm within the cylinder acting by its spiral vane to express the material through the said outlet, power devices for rotating the said expressing screw or worm, and power-controlling devices operated through the reaction of the material upon the screw or worm to maintain substantial uniformity of pressure within the cylinder.

3. In combination, a cylinder, a screw or worm working within the said cylinder, power devices for rotating the said screw or worm, and power controlling devices controlled by the pressure within the cylinder and operating to throw the power off andv on to maintain substantial uniformity of pressure.

4:. In combination, a cylinder having an outlet through which material contained within the cylinder is expressed, a longitudi- ,nally-movable expressing. screw or worm within the cylinder acting by its spiral vane to express the material through the said outlet, power means for said expressing screw or worm and means whereby said power means is controlled as to its action in rotating the expressing screw or worm by the longitudinal position of the latter and acting to throw the power OE and on to maintain substantial uniformity of pressure within the cylinder.

5. In combination, a cylinder having an outlet through which material contained within the cylinder is expressed, a longitudinally-movable expressing screw or worm acting by its spiral vane to express the material through the said outlet, an electric motor in driving connection with the said screw or worm, and a controlling-switch for the said motor, itself controlled by the longitudinal position of the expressing screw or worm and operating to throw the power off and on to maintain substantial uniformity, of pressure within the cylinder.

6. A continuous-feed machine comprising an expressing screw or worm working within a cylinder having an outlet through which material fed to the said screw or worm is expressed, driving means for the said expressing screw or worm, a shipper for throwing the'power on and offland shipper-controllingrmeans itself controlled by the pressure within the. cylinder and operating to cause said screw or worm to rotate until a predetermmed maximum pressure is reached, then operate the shipper. to discontinue the applicationof power,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each; by addressing the andsuspendthe rotation until a reduction of pressure t0 the predetermined extent takes place, and then automatically apply the power to rotate the screw or worm. 15

- In testimony whereof I affix my signature Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. (1. w 

